It is well known that a device may be used to provide a pleasant scent or other emanated material for olfactory sensing within a room of a home, office, or other contained domestic environment. Typically, such devices perpetuate a volatile composition, e.g., fragrance, odor masker, medicine, disinfectant, deodorizer, insect repellant, aromatherapy material, vaporized medication, or other volatile composition by either an energized or non-energized means. In the case of an energized means, the volatile composition's perpetuation within the room is heightened by the use of electricity to power the device and usually the perpetuation is intermittent. For non-energized devices, they are usually activated by some type of user operation. This activation may involve removal or peeling away of an impermeable layer from a container for the volatile composition such that a release of the composition occurs or it may involve mere exposure of the volatile composition by opening up the device to the environment.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,696,982 B2 discloses a method for delivering a volatile material to the atmosphere in a continuous, non-energized manner. This method involves providing a delivery engine comprising a reservoir of volatile material, a microporous membrane enclosing the reservoir, a rupturable substrate enclosing the reservoir, a flow path between the substrate and the membrane, and a rupture element of a particular configuration.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 8,740,110 B2 discloses an apparatus for delivering a volatile material wherein the apparatus comprises a delivery engine that includes a reservoir for the material, a rupturable substrate secured to the reservoir, a rupture element positioned adjacent to the substrate, a membrane of a certain porosity and thickness wherein when the element is actuated causing the breach of the substrate which in turn causes the material to cross to the membrane for diffusion to the atmosphere, and a housing comprising a base, a shell, and a hollowed core, wherein the core comprises a notch for compressing the rupture element upon insertion of the delivery engine in the housing.
Neither the above described method nor the apparatus, however, focuses on providing consumers with a potential benefit that may be derived by increasing the exposure of a membrane wetted with a volatile composition to the environment by means of an improved housing. It is appreciated that there are devices known in the fragrance provision spectrum that include membranes that are fully exposed or nearly fully exposed to their respective environments to be treated. None, however, have been able to provide extended and heightened release of such fragrances while still providing effective containment of the membrane for aesthetic and safety purposes. It should also be noted that neither of the abovementioned references focuses on the potential benefit of increased volatile composition weight loss of cartridges included therein wherein that is subjected to such an increased exposure in a device.
Therefore, there still exists a need for a device or dispenser of volatile compositions that while being non-energized is capable of delivering a continuous but heightened volatile composition delivery to an environment as a result of increased wetted membrane exposure.